On September 7, 1964, Eric Lynn Wright, better known to the world as Eazy-E, was born in Compton, California. Today, the man affectionately known as the “Godfather of Gangsta Rap” would have celebrated his 62nd birthday.
Although Hip Hop lost Eazy more than three decades ago, his fingerprints remain all over the culture. From N.W.A. and Ruthless Records to the business blueprint he established for independent West Coast Hip Hop, Eric Wright’s impact went considerably further than his unmistakable high-pitched voice behind the microphone.
Before becoming a rapper, Eazy came out of the streets of Compton and eventually invested his money into music, co-founding Ruthless Records in 1986. That decision would ultimately help change the direction of Hip Hop.
Eazy linked with Andre “Dr. Dre” Young, O’Shea “Ice Cube” Jackson, Antoine “DJ Yella” Carraby and Lorenzo “MC Ren” Patterson to form the classic lineup of N.W.A., the group that would eventually earn the title “The World’s Most Dangerous Group.”
Then came Straight Outta Compton.
Released through Ruthless/Priority Records in 1988, the landmark album brought the realities, anger and language of Compton directly into living rooms across America without depending on traditional radio or MTV support. Records including “Straight Outta Compton,” “Gangsta Gangsta” and the controversial “Fuck Tha Police” helped make N.W.A. one of the most important—and feared—groups of their generation.
Eazy wasn’t simply the group’s frontman.
He was the businessman behind the label.
His entrepreneurial instincts helped establish Ruthless as one of Hip Hop’s most important independent imprints, creating a platform that extended well beyond N.W.A. Ruthless would become connected to artists including J.J. Fad, The D.O.C., Above the Law and, later, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. The Recording Academy notes that J.J. Fad’s success with “Supersonic” helped build Ruthless and finance N.W.A.’s rise.
As a solo artist, Eazy also established an identity completely separate from the group.
His 1988 debut Eazy-Duz-It gave Hip Hop classics including “We Want Eazy,” “Eazy-Er Said Than Dunn” and the title track, with Dre and Yella providing the sonic foundation and Ice Cube and MC Ren contributing heavily to the writing.
Eazy’s persona was impossible to duplicate—the black Raiders gear, Compton hat, dark shades, mischievous delivery and that voice that could be identified within seconds.
N.W.A. eventually fractured, with Ice Cube leaving first and Dr. Dre later departing to help establish Death Row Records. The breakups produced some of Hip Hop’s most infamous battles, including Eazy’s war of words with Dre and Snoop Dogg and his classic response “Real Muthaphuckkin G’s.”
But while the public beefs became part of Hip Hop history, Eazy continued building Ruthless.
One of his final and most consequential moves was signing five young MCs from Cleveland known as Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. Their success would explode following Eazy’s death, and their Grammy-winning “Tha Crossroads” became a tribute to the man who gave them their opportunity.
On March 16, 1995, Eazy publicly announced that he had been diagnosed with AIDS. Just ten days later, on March 26, he died from complications related to the disease at only 30 years old. The sudden loss stunned Hip Hop at a time when misinformation and stigma surrounding HIV and AIDS remained widespread.
His influence didn’t disappear with him.
In 2016, N.W.A. was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, with Kendrick Lamar presenting the group and recognizing the enormous impact its members had on generations of artists who followed. The Hall describes N.W.A.’s rise from marginalized outsiders into voices that forced America to confront realities it often preferred not to hear.
Nearly four decades after Ruthless Records began, the family tree Eazy helped plant remains enormous.
N.W.A. helped launch Dr. Dre and Ice Cube. Dre’s career subsequently helped open doors for Snoop Dogg, Eminem, 50 Cent, Kendrick Lamar and others. Ruthless gave Bone Thugs-N-Harmony their national platform. And the independent-minded approach Eazy brought to the business became part of the blueprint for generations of artists who understood that controlling the company could be just as important as controlling the microphone.
Eazy-E only lived 30 years.
Somehow, that was enough time to permanently alter Hip Hop history.
Today, on what would have been his 62nd birthday, The Source salutes Eric “Eazy-E” Wright—the Compton original, Ruthless Records visionary, N.W.A. founder and one of the architects of West Coast Hip Hop.
Happy 62nd birthday, Eazy.
Rest In Peace to the Godfather of Gangsta Rap.